Mexico’s Jhonny Gonzalez TKO’s Abner Mares in the first round of their Aug. 2013 fight at the Stubhub Center in Carson. Mares endured a lot of judgment after his first loss, but is in pursuit of another world championship. (Photo by Gene Blevins/LA DailyNews)

Funny thing about social media, it can actually be used as a motivational tool.

Abner Mares of Hawaiian Gardens was riding a wonderful wave of success. He won titles in three weight classes, then in defense of his featherweight title he was knocked out in the first round by hard-hitting Jhonny Gonzalez in August 2013 at StubHub Center in Carson.

Mares had infiltrated the ranks of the top 10 pound-for-pound fighters …

“And then boom, that loss came and then all of a sudden, ‘Abner Mares sucks, Abner Mares wasn’t what people thought he was,’ “ Mares said. “Nowadays, social media, anyone from ages 8 – my daughers’s 8 and she’s on Instagram and Twitter – so anyone can write things. At the end of the day, everyone thinks they’re a boxing expert.”

Here a guy wins world titles in the bantamweight, super bantamweight and featherweight divisions and as soon as he loses for the first time, he gets hammered. It’s a cruel world, but it’s the world in which we live. What Mares can do about it is continue what has been a successful comeback from that quick beatdown. He’ll fight Saturday for the third time since then when he squares off with Arturo Reyes (18-4, 5 KOs) of Mexico at MGM Grand in Las Vegas in the return to primetime boxing on NBC.

The main event will feature Keith “One Time” Thurman defending his welterweight belt against former champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero with heavy-handed and courageous junior lightweight contender John Molina of Covina tangling with former three-division champion Adrien Broner in the semi-main.

After the loss to Gonzalez, Mares (28-1-1, 15 KOs) said he overreacted and fired his longtime trainer Clemente Medina, thinking perhaps he was responsible. Mares fought one bout under Virgil Hunter, defeated Jonathan Oquendo, but didn’t like the way he fought – he was too defensive. Mares returned to Medina and liked what he did in stopping Jose Ramirez after five rounds in December at MGM Grand.

Now, it might seem that Mares’ main goal is to once again become world champion. Not necessarily.

“You know what? It’s not important,” the Artesia High graduate said. “When you turn pro, that’s your main goal, to become a world champion. When I did it, it was so great. When it happened again, ‘Oh, my God.’ The third time, wow, I made history in becoming the second-youngest Mexican (Mares has dual citizenship) to capture three world titles in three different weight classes; the No. 1 guy is Julio Cesar Chavez.

“Now it’s not so much about capturing the title. It’s about way more than that. What I mean by that is, just going over expectations, what people expect out of Abner Mares. People expect the least and I just want to go on beyond that and prove to people that you can do anything that you put your mind to.”

Showing people that a loss is not a death sentence in boxing is part of what Mares, 29, aims to do as he eyes four more years in the sport.

“We can name so many fighters that lost in their prime, but they fought good fighters,” said Mares, who had seven very tough opponents before the Gonzalez fight. “Mike Tyson lost in his prime and came back up. One of the greatest heavyweight champions, Lennox Lewis. Tommy Hearns. You could name a lot. Who didn’t lose? You lose, you come back, it’s part of the game.”

Floyd Mayweather Jr. hasn’t. Mares even half-jokingly blames Mayweather for how fighters who lose are perceived.

“People think that now you have to be undefeated to be the best,” Mares said. “No, you don’t. You are the best by who you fight and how you fight.”

Regardless of what people say on Twitter.

The four co-feature boxers know how to fight, and well. Thurman (24-1, 21 KOs) will have his hands full with Guerrero (32-2-1, 18 KOs) and Molina (27-5, 22 KOs) and Broner (29-1, 22 KOs) could be brutal.

“This is going to be a dogfight on Saturday night,” said Molina, a Charter Oak High School (in Covina) graduate.

Premier Boxing Champions is the promoter. Sugar Ray Leonard will be part of the broadcast team.

Alvarez-Kirkland

The first nine days of May figure to be thrilling. On May 2, Manny Pacquiao and Mayweather will square off in a long-awaited welterweight title-unification bout at MGM Grand (on HBO and Showtime pay-per-view). A week later, on May 9, Mexican hero Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and vicious southpaw James Kirkland will tangle in a junior middleweight fight at Minute Maid Park in Houston (on HBO). Kirkland is from Austin, Texas.

The two played host to a news conference this week. Alvarez, a former junior middleweight champion from Guadalajara, was right on the money in his assessment of this match.

“He is dangerous and powerful,” Alvarez said. “I am also powerful and aggressive and I can guarantee you, this is going to be an explosive.”

This one almost can’t miss.

“I’m ready to put my life on the line and give it everything I’ve got,” Kirkland said.

Kirkland (32-1, 28 KOs) will be 31 on March 19. Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs) is still just 24.

ETC

Zou Shiming (6-0, 1 KO) of China on Saturday night will challenge Amnat Ruenroeng (14-0, 5 KOs) of Thailand for his flyweight world title in Macau, China (on HBO2). … Lightweight champion Terence Crawford (25-0, 17 KOs) of Omaha, Neb., on April 18 will move up in weight and take on Thomas Dulorme (22-1, 14 KOs) of Puerto Rico for a vacant super lightweight title at University of Texas (on HBO).

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